Latch for automobile-hoods



F. MATHEWS. LATCH FOR AUTOMOBILE HOODS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. Is. 1920.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

I N V EN TOR. Zrc c/Azkw A TTORNE Y.

citizen of the United States,

UNITED STATES rnnn ue'rnsws, or cmcaeo, rumors.

neuron iron AUTOMOBILE-BOOBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application filed March 15, 1920. Serial No. 385,706.

To allwhom it may'cmwem:

Be it known that I, FRED MATHEWS, a residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Imrovements in Latches for Automobileoods, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

y invention relates to means for securing the hoods of automobiles and the like, and particularly latches, which engage their keepers on the inside of the hood, and are operated by handles projecting outside of the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a latch of the kind above referred to in which the latch or engaging member is actuated by a handle, projecting outside of the hood, through the medium of devices that throw itinto engagement and out of engagement with a snap and whose pivotal connections are moved off center and retained at the limit of their movement by a spring which prevents rattling whether said latch is in engagement with the keeper or disengaged therefrom. This and other objects accomplish by the means hereinafter fully described, and illustrated in the drawings, in which similar references indicate similar parts and elements.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an inside View of a fragment of the hood of an automobile and platform engaged thereby, showing my improvements ap lied thereto.

ig. 2 is a transverse section of the same taken on dotted line 2, 2, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings A represents a fragment of one hinged side section of the hood, which is adapted when swung down to cover the engine, to engage or rest-upon a horizontal platform a, which is flanked by the front fender (not shown) in the usual manner.

The side section of the hood (hereinafter referred to as the hood) is fastened usually by two of my improved latches located near each end, at a suitable point above the lower edge of the same, in the usual manner, and said hood is provided with a vertical slot 6 out through which the handle 5 of m improved latch projects outward. Just inside of the hood this handle is pivoted by means of a suitable pivotal pin 6, between the two corresponding downwardly extending parallel branches 7, 7, of an inverted U-shaped sheet metal supporting-frame 25.

The edges of these branches at the end of the horizontal portion of the su next the hood is provided with lateral lugs 8, 8, that are riveted or otherwise fastened to the hood along side of and parallel to slot 6. These branches 7, 7, project inwardly from the hood and then downwardly.

Inside the hood the handle is provided with a short downward extension, and its lower end is bifurcated by means of a slot 10, that is engaged by an antifriction wheel 11, journaled between the bifurcated end of the upper horizontal arm 12 of the latch 13.

Thls latch consists of a vertically disposed member that connects the said upper arm 12, and a lower horizontally disposed arm 14, and the latch is pivoted by means of a transverse pivotal trunnion 15 at the angle of arm 12 and its vertical member, and the ends of this trunnion 15 extend out through vertical slots 15 made in the side members of the supportingframe 7. At the angle or elbow formed at the lower endof its vertical member said latch is provided with a transverse bar 16, the ends of which extend out through segmental slots 17 17, made in the lower end of the side branches of the supporting-frame 7. These segmental slots are struck from a center farther away from the hood than the pivotal pin 15, so that when handle 5 is depressed and the bifurcated extension engages the antifrictionwheel in the adjacent end of upper arm 12 of the latch the latter will move on the axis of trunnion 15 and the engagement of the ends of bar 16 with slot 17 will force the latch upward'and the extremity of the arm 14:will move toward the hood and engage the underside of the upper hooked end of a keeper 18. This keeper consists of a vertically disposed strip of metal'the lower end of which is flanged inward away from the hood and riveted or otherwise fastened to the platform a.

/The latch is, preferably, made of two corresponding strips of metal secured toately above said frame a nut 20 engages the screw threaded portion of the bolt, and a washer 21 surrounds the same just above said nut. The upper screw-threaded end of bolt 19 also has a nut 23 mounted thereon, and between nut 23 and washer 21 said bolt is surrounded by a coil expansion spring 24.

In operation, when it is desired to lift the hood, the handle is grasped and lifted up. This, through the engagement of the extension 9 with'the upper arm 12 moves the lower arm of the latch away from the keeper, which it thus disengages. As the latch is in the act of disengaging, cross-bar 16, by reason of its engagement with the slots 17, pulls the latch downward against the expansion spring 24. The strength ofspring 24 is such that when it is desired to lower the hood, grasping the handle 5 will not cause the latch to start on its locking movement, but when the hood is closed, an extra downward pressure'on the handle will cause the latch to snap simultaneously outward and the toe of its lower arm will move upward and engage under the upper hooked end of the keeper as the spring 24 slightly expands. In order to assure the locking engagement of the latchwith the keeper in the event the lifting of the handle should accidentally move the lower arm of the latch toward the hood, I have beveled the under edges of arm 14 back from its toe so that should it strike the upper hooked end of the keeper it will be forced away from the keeper and draw the hood toward the same and pass under the hook of the keeper and lock the hood in its downward I position firmly against the keeper so that it will not rattle.

What I claim as new is:

1. The combination with a movable closure member, a stationary support and a a keeper attached to said support, of a handle having a stationary pivot on one side of said support and extending out through a slot therein to the other side of the same, a latch movable on a yielding pivot and havin arms projecting from its ends, one of whic is adapted to be engaged by said handle and the other to engage and disengage from said keeper.

2. The combination with a movable closure member, a stationary support and a keeper attached to said support, of a handle having a stationary pivot on one side of said support and extendin out through a slot therein to the other side of the same having an extension, a latch movable on a yielding pivot'and having arms projecting from its ends, one of which is adapted to be engaged by'said extension, and the other to engage and disengage from said keeper.

3. The combination with a movable closure member, a stationary support and a keeper attached to said support, of a handle having a stationary pivot on one side of said support and extendmg out through a suitable slot therein to the other side of the same, a latch movable on a yielding pivot and actuated by said handle to engage and disengage said keeper and a spring used in conjunction with said yielding pivot.

4. The combination with a movable closure member, a stationary support and a keeper attached to said support, of a handle having a stationary pivot and having an extension, a latch having an upper and a lower arm projectingin the same direction therefrom and which is pivoted at the junction thereof and said upper arm, whichlatter is engaged by said extension and caused to engage -or disengage from said keeper.

5. The combination with a movable closuremember, a stationary supportand a keeper attached to said support, of a handle having a stationary pivot and having an extension, a latch having an upper and a lower arm projecting in the same direction therefrom and which is provided with a yielding pivot at the junction thereof and said upper arm, which latter is engaged by said extension and caused to engage or disenga e from said keeper.

6. he combination with a movable closure member, a stationary support and a keeper attached to said support, of a handle having a stationary pivot and having an' extension, a latch having an upper and a lower arm projecting inthe same direction therefrom and which is provided with a yielding pivot at the junction thereof and said upper arm, which latteris engagedby said extension and caused to engage or dis engage from said kee er, a bolt secured at one end to said yielding pivot, and a coil expansion spring engaged by said bolt.

7. The combination with a movable closure member, a stationary support and a keeper attached to said support, of a supporting-frame comprising two parallel sides connected to said closure member, a handle having a stationary pivot between said sides and extending out through a suitable slot in said closure memberto the opposite side of the same, and having a bifurcated extension, a latch having an upper and lower arm projecting in the same direction which is provided with a yielding pivot at the junction of the upper arm therewith, and a cross-bar intersecting the juncture of the lower arm with said latch the ends of which engage slots in said sides.

8.. The combination with a movable closure member, a stationary support and a keeper attached to said support, of a supporting-frame comprising two parallel sides connected to said closure member, a handle having a stationary pivot between said sides and extending out through a suitable slot in said closure member to the opposite side of the same, and having a bifurcated ex-.

tension, a latch having an up er and lower arm projecting in the same direction which is provided w th a pivot at the junction of the upper arm therewith, a bolt secured to and projecting up from said pivot, a coil spring up through which said bolt extends and a nut on the upper end of said bolt, said spring expanding when said extension actuates saidlatch, and a. cross-bar intersecting the juncture of the lower arm with said latch the ends of which engage slotsin said sides.

9. The combination with a movable closure member, a stationary support and a keeper attached to said support, of a supporting-frame comprising two parallel sides connected to said closure member, a handle having a stationary pivot between said sides and extending out through a suitable slot in said closure member to the opposite side of the same, and having a bifurcated extension, a latch having an upper and lower arm projecting in the samedirection which is provided with a pivot at the junction of the upper arm therewith, a bolt secured to and projecting up from said pivot, a coil spring up throu h which said bolt extends and a nut on t e upper end of said bolt, said spring expanding when said extension actuates said latch, and a-cross-bar intrsectin the juncture of the lower arm with sai latch the ends of which engage slots in said sides that are curved and which have their ends one on one side and the other on the otherside ofan imaginary line in alinement with the axis of said bolt.

10. An automobile hood, locking means for said hood located within the same, a keeper and means for raising the hood that actuates said locking devlces extending through said hood for enga 'ng said locking devices and move the sai lockin devices to engage the keeper and move sai hoodinward.

11'. An automobile hood, locking means for said hood located within the same, a

'keeper and means for raising the hood that actuates said locking devices extending through said hood for engaging said looking devices and move-the said locking devices to engage the keeper and move said hood inward a ainst the same.

In witness w ereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of March, 1920.

' FRED MATHEWS.

Witnesses:

VIOLET WARDELL, MARGARET HARRIS. 

